1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for re-using expanded styrene by processing used expanded styrene to fabricate regenerated products, and an apparatus used in this method for processing expanded styrene.
2. Description of the Related Art
Expanded styrene is superior in shock-absorption, heat-insulating and heat retaining properties, and hence is used extensively for packaging a wide variety of products from electric appliances to food and beverages.
However, this expanded styrene has a drawback that it presents disposal difficulties when the articles are unpacked and the packaging material is to be discarded. That is, expanded styrene, which has become unnecessary, was simply destroyed or incinerated. However, this disposal system is now to be re-considered because ofthe problems of procurement of land-filling sites and public hazards caused by bad smell or smoke generated on incineration.
In order to meet this request, there has been proposed a processing apparatus for expanded styrene such as is disclosed in Japanese Laying-Open Patent H-1-89110 or in Japanese Laying-Open Patent H-6-166034. The processing apparatus pulverizes the unneeded expanded styrene, transports the pulverized product on a belt conveyor and illuminates far-ultra-red light from a far-ultra-red heater provided partway on the transport path to reduce its volume. If the far-ultra-red light is illuminated to heat the pulverized product of the expanded styrene, as in this processing apparatus for the expanded styrene, the used styrene can be reduced in its volume without causing fusion decomposition or bad smell or elevating the furnace temperature. Thus, the processing apparatus for expanded styrene is meritorious in handling the unneeded expanded styrene as a waste material.
However, if the expanded styrene is processed using the above-described processing apparatus, the aforementioned problem cannot be solved completely because the expanded styrene, reduced in its volume on pulverization, is handled as a waste material.
It is therefore desired to re-use the pulverized expanded styrene, thus reduced in its volume, as a starting material for producing a regenerated product. However, the pulverized expanded styrene, thus reduced in its volume, is not uniform in size and shape, such that it cannot be used as a starting material for injection molding.